"Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He will not quarrel or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets; a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory; and in his name the Gentiles will hope."

Matthew 12:18-21 and Isaiah 42 

"Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He will not quarrel or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets; a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory; and in his name the Gentiles will hope." Matthew 12:18-21

As I have completed my study of Jonah and have yet identified my next study, this morning I use DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which examines how Christ is both the Lion and the Lamb.  

Among His many attributes, God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent.  He is all of these things at the same time and much more. In Matthew 12, Christ is described as God's Chosen Servant, and during His ministry, He heals those who followed Him.  In the devotion today, John Piper uses two attributes of Christ - how he is the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and how He is the spotless slain lamb of God who lays down His life for all of humanity.  These two attributes are used to depict two seemingly opposite ends of a spectrum - on one hand the lion is ferocious and as an apex predator - no other animal is higher than it on the food chain.  On the other hand, you have the lamb who follows the shepherd and is a portrait of meekness - going and doing as the shepherd leads.  Jesus is both and in the text today, we see an emphasis of His servant-hood and meekness, and how He cares for those in His flock.  All of us at various points in our life are in need of the humble and gentle care described here - we are the bruised reed and the smoldering wick.  We also see others who need this same humble and gentle care.  We are created in His image to be His ambassador during our time here, so believers must allow Him to work in us so that others can see His Light in us and be drawn to Him.        

Comment and discuss this post

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who reigns, serves, and saves!  Thank You for my salvation and for the blessings You pour out every day for me.  I am not deserving of how You love and save.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.

Revelation 22:6-21

Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. v14

Session #13 of David Platt - Revelation: The Hope of Glory (requires login which I have though my church) focuses on Revelation 22.  The title of the session is The End of the Beginning - this is the final session of the series.

The end of Revelation is just the beginning of a story where every chapter is better than the one before. Recap of Revelation:

• Not intended for hopeless speculation about the future; purpose is to fuel hopeful obedience in the present - 2 Peter 3 is another example of an exhortation of hopeful obedience.  We should undergo major examination of our lives.
• See the world in all of its deception; do not put your hope in government (the beast); do not put your hope in religion (false prophets); do not put your hope in material affluence and social acceptance (the prostitute) - don't base your life in things that don't matter!
• See the Christ in all of His glory; fully human and fully divine; fulfillment of prophecy and the final high priest; infinitely old and wise; sees all knows all and reigns over all; cannot hide anything from Him; purity has no error and His power knows no equal; His voice resounds with authority and His face radiates with light; He was dead for a time but He is alive for all time; He is the conquering Lion and the slaughtered Lamb; His worth is undisputed, His work is unforgettable, and His worship is universal; his birth declared the death of ancient serpent, His death deranged the adversary, and His resurrection demolished every accusation against the church; He is faithful and true; He is the righteous Judge and Messianic warrior;many crowns adorn His head and much mystery surrounds His name; He conquers God's enemies and He reveals God's Word; His grace is free and His joy is full!  He is the Savior who came once, and He is the Sovereign who is coming back soon (mentioned 3x in this chapter and time is near); He is the King of kings and Lord of lords; no one and nothing compares to Him.
• See the church in all her beauty; we are His body and bride.
• See your life in proper perspective; fight against sin! resist compromise; refuse complacency; God promises blessing for faithful and judgment for those who fall away; endure amidst suffering - do not be surprised by it; do not be overcome in it; Jesus is present with you, possesses you, has a purpose for you; proclaim gospel is Christ to everyone You know, to ends of earth; hasten the coming of Christ - give us unwavering holiness in this world with unshakable hope in the world to come!

My Prayer: Lord Jesus - You are unshakable hope - thank You Jesus for the hope that You provide.  I am not deserving for the blessings You pour out for me, including the hope and peace You provide.  Please forgive me for my sin...it is daily.  Help me turn from my sin towards You and help me love You with all of my heart, soul and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.